is there ever going to be a fe

**TheGuv** · 10-11-2010, 06:43 AM

Isn't OSX really just a variant of Linux?

XBMC can run on pretty much anything, your biggest issue is the graphics capabilities as it requires OpenGL- and it's fussy.

I have an old Shuttle PC running XBMC with 512MB ram and a 2600 AMD processor which is underclocked- seems to run nicely using the onboard 440 graphics card but it was a ****** to get the drivers sorted on Linux. I tried it on Unichrome graphics card found on 99% of the Via ITX boards and it failed, it didn't even try lol.

Although I think most Macs will be ok as very early on they had the Voodoo PCI graphics cards? Seem to remember macs being a good source for them among PC users.

**ws6vert** · 10-11-2010, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by Moel

I have to say, i've been disappointed by OM. It promised much, and I was impressed and loved the PC version, was MORE than happy and indeed clamouring to get the beta's, but it just never ever materialised. I'm not a coder at the end of the day i'm a user.

As Justchat stated, the only thing missing are a few platform specific functions and you get OM on osx. None of our volunteers have any Mac dev experience. If anyone wants to step up to the plate, we would love to have it. Until then, there is no use in OM taking development time to research OSX development for such a small audience. The possibility for OM on OSX is there, we just need someone that can do it.

**Moel** · 10-11-2010, 08:14 AM

Who built 0.6 then?

**justchat_1** · 10-11-2010, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by Moel

Who built 0.6 then?

Me....and if I thought there was any justification for spending the hundreds (yes you read that right-hundreds) of hours it takes to roll out an openGL backend for OSX I might go through the effort. However, I have not seen a single user (granted theres only 2-3 of you) justify a single advantage OSX has over any other platform (for carPC use). I can list at least a dozen disadvantages it has though.

You want iPod support:
http://openmobile.sourceforge.net/ma...fileinfo&id=38

You want OSX support:
Either find an OSX dev or get osx users to start donating for it.

**TheGuv** · 10-11-2010, 10:58 AM

I must agree, I don't see any point or advantage in using OSX over others. If there was it would be far wider developed!

**Moel** · 10-11-2010, 11:50 AM

I want iPod support for AMP not OM.

0.6 didn't work anyway remember! Came up with the missing file error in mono.

There probably isn't any justification, other than the mac mini was really the form factor that actually made the whole carpc a viable proposition for many (myself included)

It was just somewhat annoying that you basically said 'OM works for macs' and then i spent several hours trying to work out how the hell you run what appeared to be an .exe before realizing that mono was the answer, then it didn't run. Then I waited 2 months to be told that 0.7 was coming, then 0.7 was abandoned and now 0.8 and all future versions are scrapped.

Fair enough that you are doing great work with OM, but managing your users expectations is also necessary.

Would it be countless hours of work to use the 0.7 back end with a 0.6 opengl compliant front end? (which presumably exists because presumably you did have 0.6 working)

Or failing that (because i'm not precious about os x in my car pc) But with the powerpc linux release, is there a version of linux that would run OM and be able to restart my G4 Mac Mini after a power failure? (basically my carnetix power supply lead that allows power on rubbed on the case and it broke so now I just allow it to kill the power with the deadman timer and then when it restores power the mac mini knows to turn on)

**justchat_1** · 10-11-2010, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by Moel

I want iPod support for AMP not OM.

0.6 didn't work anyway remember! Came up with the missing file error in mono.

There probably isn't any justification, other than the mac mini was really the form factor that actually made the whole carpc a viable proposition for many (myself included)

It was just somewhat annoying that you basically said 'OM works for macs' and then i spent several hours trying to work out how the hell you run what appeared to be an .exe before realizing that mono was the answer, then it didn't run. Then I waited 2 months to be told that 0.7 was coming, then 0.7 was abandoned and now 0.8 and all future versions are scrapped.

Fair enough that you are doing great work with OM, but managing your users expectations is also necessary.

While I can understand your frustration...its mutual. We had two different developers offer assistance for OSX support and neither came through when we tried to take them up on their offers.

Originally Posted by Moel

Would it be countless hours of work to use the 0.7 back end with a 0.6 opengl compliant front end? (which presumably exists because presumably you did have 0.6 working)

It would be like trying to put a steam engine in a modern car...the technologies just don't work together. The real issue here is more of saving the user from future frustration. Getting the app to run on OSX isn't too hard...but then getting all of the OS specific functions working, power control, audio system interaction, application embedding, etc. would take even more work. Then you still have the issue of designing osx specific plugins for audio routing (for the hd/xm/am/fm/dab radios), audio/video playback, wifi, bluetooth, etc. I think its better to focus efforts on the platforms we can provide that for then offer a featureless front end on OSX.

Originally Posted by Moel

Or failing that (because i'm not precious about os x in my car pc) But with the powerpc linux release, is there a version of linux that would run OM and be able to restart my G4 Mac Mini after a power failure? (basically my carnetix power supply lead that allows power on rubbed on the case and it broke so now I just allow it to kill the power with the deadman timer and then when it restores power the mac mini knows to turn on)

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ports/releases/10.10/release/ <-Released yesterday

If the mini powers up after a power failure, thats a hardware thing...not really an OS thing.

**Moel** · 10-12-2010, 02:40 AM

Yes but it's only settable from the OS control panel. I suppose if i find out what the actual command in terminal it's using then it is possible.

**justchat_1** · 10-12-2010, 03:28 AM

Originally Posted by Moel

Yes but it's only settable from the OS control panel. I suppose if i find out what the actual command in terminal it's using then it is possible.

But once set it shouldn't matter what os is running on the hardware... and i'm pretty sure the tools to configure the OpenFirmware or EFI is configurable from tools on other OSs also...just need to download them.